Feather Bonnets

[Dale-of-Cedars]

Sir Rex Hunt died today...
Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Minor correction, he died 'this day', that is November 11th, but in 2012.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Hunt_%28governor%29

[Bruce Scott]

The Royals Scots Dragoon Guards did indeed wear fur bonnets with full dress, from the Napoleonic wars straight up until they went from being a mounted regiment to an armored one.

That would be the Royal Scots Greys. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (SCOTS DG) date from 1971 when the Greys amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)

[Pleater]

Minor correction, he died 'this day', that is November 11th, but in 2012.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Hunt_(governor)

Hmm - I thought that was what I wrote - maybe I ought to have a word with the auto correct program I enabled recently - but thank you for the non automatic correction. I remember the TV re ran an interview they did with him about the surrender where he described there being a few minutes pause in the proceedings and he decided to put on his official uniform with the hat full of feathers - I thought then, echoes of 'Carry on up the Khyber' -

Anne the Pleater:ootd:

[Mike S]

That would be the Royal Scots Greys. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (SCOTS DG) date from 1971 when the Greys amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)

Indeed. I cited the current incarnation RSDG so as not to confuse the uninitiated with yet another regimental name. Those who are truly following along likely already know the provenance involved.

[Bigkahuna]

The Copely painting shows a Highland Officer of the late 1700s. His bonnet looks, to my eyes, very similar to Iroquois Gustoweh of the same period. Look up Gustoweh and check out the images and I think you might agree.

[OC Richard]

The Copley painting shows a Highland Officer of the late 1700s. His bonnet looks, to my eyes, very similar to Iroquois Gustoweh of the same period. Look up Gustoweh and check out the images and I think you might agree.

Thanks, I did look them up, and you're right in that both types of bonnets have a decorative headband, and the top all covered with feathers.

And the timing of the Highland bonnet gaining all its feathers makes sense. However if the influence was direct one would expect the Highlanders to put the same sorts of feathers in their bonnets that the Gustoweh did, but the Highland bonnets always seemed to be festooned with ostrich feathers. It makes one wonder why ostrich feathers were, apparently, commonly available in Scotland (and/or America) at that time.

[Mike S]

Well-to-do lady's and gentlemen's hats of the period were often decorated with ostrich feathers (Actually dating back to the late 1600s. They would have been available materials.

[Bigkahuna]

The 78th Fraisers Highlanders wore strips of bearskin in their bonnets instead of feathers.

[Dale-of-Cedars]

In googling Rex Hunt I also found the complete film on the invasion that includes the full-dress feathered hat incident, and watched it with the Kelda:

[Pleater]

There is even a kilt in the film - at 1:53:30 I think it was and in a couple more shots later.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: